Can J-frames (442/642) short stroke?

[pmandayam]

I have the polymer M&P Bodyguard 38 and I've noticed that sometimes if I don't reset the trigger fully before pulling the trigger again, the cylinder cycles but it's a misfire. It's similar to the Ruger LCR revolvers that are known to short stroke.

My question is, do J-frame (442/642) triggers also have this short stroke issue?

 

[armorer951]

Yes sir, they definitely can, under certain circumstances....

When the trigger is not allowed fully forward, the DA sear can fail to reset fully, resulting in the sear being "bypassed" and the cylinder rotating with no hammer function when the trigger is pulled. (prematurely)

The cylinder stop bevel can also fail to fully reset over the trigger hook, which can result in the action locking near the beginning of the attempted next DA pull. (cylinder stop does not come down when trigger pull is initiated, also prematurely)

This is one of the reasons that it's so important to use a full length, OEM rebound spring.....particularly in carry guns.

 

[pmandayam]

Yes sir, they definitely can, under certain circumstances....

Yeah my bodyguard is factory new and I experienced this a little bit. Its trigger reset feels like my m&p shield semi-auto, so once I feel that "click" reset, I tend to immediately smash the trigger again.

What I noticed is that if I pull the trigger during the "click" reset, I get a short stroke and misfire. So the solution is to simply allow full reset.

It's kind of hard to reproduce it intentionally; it requires very specific timing.

 

[HamHands]

Yeah my bodyguard is factory new and I experienced this a little bit. Its trigger reset feels like my m&p shield semi-auto, so once I feel that "click" reset, I tend to immediately smash the trigger again.

What I noticed is that if I pull the trigger during the "click" reset, I get a short stroke and misfire. So the solution is to simply allow full reset.

It's kind of hard to reproduce it intentionally; it requires very specific timing.

When I ran M&P semi-auto's for defense 15 years ago it must have been... the trigger reset on my mid-size and compact M&P's was so weak that I ordered Apex-Tactical's R.A.M. kit which is the Reset Assist Mechanism and Apex-Tactical's "Ultimate Striker Block as well... First pistols I ever worked on and it only took me 15 minutes. After installing both the Reset was hands down both audibly and in feel/force amplified over the Factory Reset... I also later on tweaked the "Trigger Bar" very slightly which further made the reset even shorter and better to work well with the USB and RAM from Apex... People that shot it all remarked that the trigger has to be a custom trigger shop/job.

The Result was Zero grit, Zero Spongy Reset, and with a positive almost forceful even a trigger reset both in feel and sound. Never had a false reset again and we ran them for 5-6 years...

We've never had a false reset in any of our J frames either M36's or M642's. All have Wolff Custom's Mainsprings, & Rebound Springs along with some TLC polishing (taking zero metal off) just a polish to a bright and shiny sheen to all sides of the Rebound Slide and to the sear contact points. They all feel just as good as my Lew Horton Special M24-3 and a special edition M29-3 "Mountain Back Packer" that I recently confirmed went thru Smith's Performance Center as part of a special distributor's order/spec before leaving S&W...

 

[kaaskop49]

Had some trouble several years back with some 442s, the Chattanooga Arms models. The trigger would cycle the cylinder but the hammer would not move. I found the sideplates were not completely tight. After tightening, no further problem with cycling and firing. Have no explanation, but I always check the sideplates for tightness on a new J-frame.

It was disappointing, as these were PC models.

Kaaskop49
Shield #5103

 

[scruffy]

Yes. Did it twice with my NIB M640 first time I took it to the range after weeks of practicing with a Sig P365 that I shoot on the short reset (trigger not released all the way). I thought it was a light primer strike and then saw there was no indentation and realized what I had done.